1. Field of the Invention
The following description relates to a display device of a motor vehicle which can be disposed in a rear view device. For example, such as an interior or exterior mirror, having at least one light-conducting body which comprises at least one coupling-in section through which light emitted by at least one light source can be coupled into the light-conducting body, and which comprises at least one coupling-out section through which light can be coupled out of the light-conducting body, and which comprises at least one optical means which at least in some sections is or can be secured to the light-conducting body such that it is overlaid on the surface of the at least one coupling-out section of the light-conducting body, and which comprises at least one optical element by means of which a beam path of at least the light passing through the optical element can be deflected and/or split into light bundles, in particular scattered. In addition, the description relates to a rear view device having a display device of this kind and to a motor vehicle having a rear view device of this kind.
2. Description of Related Art
US 2002/0048165 A1 relates to a liquid crystal display device for a computer or similar. By forming a multiplicity of dots, in each case by means of a small projecting part or a small recess portion, to change light at a pre-determined angle to an incident surface of a light guide plate in the direction of a permeable surface and adjusting an angle of the inclination of a cross section, it is possible to beam an illuminating light with a suitable angular distribution from a light-emitting surface to a display element in order to improve the brightness of the liquid crystal display device.
Light redirecting films, which each have a pattern of individual optical elements of well-defined shape on a light exit surface for refracting the light which enters the entrance surface of the films from behind in a direction perpendicular to the exit surface, are described in US 2001/0053075 A1. The individual optical elements overlap and intersect one another. Also, the orientation, size and/or shape of the optical elements can be made to redirect more of the incident light from the backlight within a desired viewing angle.
A lighting apparatus, which has a light density distribution of the whole light-emitting surface of high uniformity, is disclosed in JP 2006 3507 A. Here, light from a light source falls on a light guide plate of a light incident surface. Within the light guide plate, the incident light spreads in the longitudinal direction while it is repeatedly totally reflected at the top and bottom surfaces of the light guide plate. A multiplicity of diffraction gratings is formed continuously on the top and/or bottom surface of the light guide plate in order to form a hologram pattern. Some of the light which spreads in the light guide plate is therefore diffracted and emitted at the top of the light guide plate. The depth of the diffraction gratings increases from the light incident surface in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate. Display devices for rear view devices in the form of blind spot displays in exterior mirrors are known. As a result of these, the driver of a motor vehicle is shown in the exterior mirror whether another road user is in the blind spot and is therefore assisted in deciding whether a driving maneuver, such as turning off or overtaking, might currently be risky.
The known display devices comprise at least one light source, the light radiated from which is guided into a light-conducting body and deflected and scattered thereby in such a way that the light can pass to the outside through a mask and be perceived and interpreted by the driver of the motor vehicle in the form of a symbol formed by the mask. With the known display devices, it has been shown to be laborious to be able to guarantee a uniform illumination of the display device by the optical unit, in particular to be able to provide sufficiently high light densities for different driver viewing angles.